Off The Beaten Path - Phatthalung : Thale Noi, The Highlight

Thailand - Phatthalung Thursday, March 01, 2018

Day 2 (Part 1) : Thale Noi

The Thai name ‘Thale Noi’ translates to ‘little sea’ in English language (thale means sea while noi means little). It is the northernmost of the bodies of water that make up Thale Sap , also known as Songkhla Lake.

Supporting more than 180 species of local and migratory waterbirds and protected under the international Ramsar wetlands preservation treaty, Thale Noi is Thailand’s largest waterfowl reserve. Birdwatchers are joined by flora enthusiasts looking to glide through pink waterlilies that bloom by the thousands. Locals weave grass mats and fish off stilted platforms, adding splashes of culture to this increasingly popular natural attraction.

Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area was the first official non-hunting wildlife area declared in Thailand. Furthermore, the Kuan Ki Sian knoll, a 4.94 km² area within the non-hunting grounds was declared as a ‘Wetland of International Importance’ in 1998 by the Ramsar Convention for its diversity of flora and fauna species, its value as a breeding haven for myriad bird species and for the presence of vulnerable and endangered species inhabiting the area. The wetlands are presently governed by the Royal Forestry Department who work with local authorities and communities to manage the reserve.

How to get there

Thale Noi is located 30 km north of Phattalung town via a scenic route that takes you east along Highway 4047 to Baan Lam Pam, where you’ll want to cut Route onto Route 4007, which runs alongside Thale Sap and passes the Pak Pra Canal on the way. Thale Noi is often posted on signs and maps as “Thale Noi Waterfowl Reserve.” It can also be reached via Highway No. 4048 from Amphoe Mueang to Amphoe Khuan Khanun and to Thale Noi, for a total distance of 32 kilometers.

Baan Thale Noi can also be reached by public minibuses that depart from Phattalung's bus station every 30 minutes from 6am to 6pm for 70 Baht per person. The boat piers and viewing platforms are within walking distance of where the minibuses drop off. Longtail boat rides cost 450 baht per hour. Most people either visit in the early morning for sunrise, or in late afternoon. Visiting during midday is not recommended due to hot sun.

For convenience sake, I would recommend staying at a nearby resort, and arrange a boat ride which would pick you up directly from the resort.

Sunrise

We had arranged our boat ride to come as early as 5.45am in order to ensure we would not miss the sunrise. Everyone was on time that morning, except for MJ and I who overslept and was only waken up by Richard who came knocking on our door, telling us that our boats had arrived. Panicked, MJ and I jumped out of bed and get ready as fast as lightning (5 minutes to be exact).

By the time we reach the dock (just a few steps away from our chalet), Richard, Sherry, Anna, Amy and Arthur has already gotten onto a boat. We let CK take the front seat since he’s the professional cameraman here, while MJ takes the second seat, me on the third, and Llyod behind me. Once everyone was seated, we set off, still on time for sunrise.

As we set of from the banks of Pak Pra Canal, we came across many Yok Yars. Yok Yar is a stilted fishing platforms, with wide nets attached to wooden logs that are dipped into water to catch fish. Slowly, as we passed by more and more Yok Yars, our gaze met the horizon, where the sun started to rise.

I’m not good in describing the sunrise, but I’d say it’s the most beautiful one I’d ever seen so far. I’ll let the photos do the talking.

Finally, when the sun, fully risen, we steered over to a marshland, where we took some nice photos, before continuing our tour towards the other side of the lake which is full of lotuses and other bird species.

Lotus

One of the main highlight of Thale Noi is none other than the lotuses. During the lotus blooming season from February to May, the entire lake is covered with waterlilies and lotuses of various species. There entire lake looks like a sea of hot-pink lotuses. We visited during the low season, yet it was still pretty beautiful in my opinion. A visit during the peak season will therefore guarantee more insta-worthy shots.

Buffalo and birds

Thale Noi is a wetland, with many outcrops of marsh islands where birds come to roost. Among the birds you can find here include the beautiful purple swamphen, the Chinese pond heron, purple heron, white-winged terns, the Brahminy kites, the little cormorant, the cotton pygmy goose, the Oriental pratincole, common moorhen, egrets, kingfishers, wild ducks, and other birds.

The peak period for bird watching is January to April during the winter in northern hemisphere, with as many 100,000 birds spending a few days here on their migration from Siberia and China. The low season is around June to September, during the nesting period.

During our boat ride, we also saw some buffaloes.

Thale Noi

Address: Thale Noi, Khuan Khanun District, Phatthalung, Thailand Contact: The Royal Forestry Department in Bangkok at 0 2562 0760 or the Thale Noi Non-hunting Area at 0 7468 5230

Operating hours: Everyday, 8am to 5pm (official hours)

Admission: free

Longtail boat: 450 Baht per boat (fit maximum of 6 person) per hour

Sunrise: 6.30am

Day 2 (Part 2) : Double Breakfast Day

Payment dispute

We finished our tour around 9am (that’s about 3 hours of boat ride) and the boatmen then bring us back to the dock in front of our resort. MJ, Richard and I stayed behind to settle the payment with the boatmen while they rest went ahead to freshen up. To our surprise, the boatmen requested for 1,800 Baht instead of the agreed price of 900 Baht (for 2 boats). After several rounds of communicating with hand signs and google translate, we finally realised that we had a miscommunication the day before. Apparently, the boatmen quoted us 900 Baht per boat, instead of what we thought as 900 Baht for 2 boats. Though we were not happy, we understand the boatmen’ difficulties. After all, the entire boat ride was 3 hours long and was still worth the price. In the end, we came to a consensus and settled for 1,400 Baht in total (156 Baht per person / SGD6.40 / RM20.22)

Complimentary Breakfast

Our complimentary breakfast (a basic set of toast, eggs and sausages) was waiting for us at the front porch of our chalet, wrapped nicely to keep away from dust and flies (not that they are any flies around). We took turn showering, before filling up with the breakfast.

Second breakfast

Not satisfied with the complimentary breakfast (we are such big eaters), we had another round of breakfast at Yok Yor Kitchen. Each of us ordered a plate of local thai food (thai omelete rice, prawn petai rice, seafood fried rice, basil seafood rice, basil pork rice to name a few) and the bill came up to only 410 Baht (approximately 46 Baht per person / SGD1.87 /RM5.92).

After breakfast, our songthaew driver is finally here, and we were ready for our next adventure…

… and our footprints in Phatthalung continues [Day 2 – Temple Hopping in Town]

Epilogue

Though still off the radar for most foreign travellers, Thale Noi is a fairly popular attraction among domestic tourists. Therefore, expect to encounter busloads during the peak season, where migratory birds are abundant, and the lake is covered with thousands of lotuses.

If you don’t mind seeing lesser birds and lotuses, and hate being surrounded by crowds, paying a visit during the low season (just like we did), isn’t such a bad idea either. The scenery is still stunning, and did I mention the sunrise? The sunrise was one of the best I’ve seen, and one I will not forget for many years to come.